I should note that I don't have many friends. I don't have just one but I don't have a phone flooded with people I can call up and chill with on the spot. I have someone I would consider a best friend who lives down the street and we chill often. My dilemma though is, I'm growing increasingly isolated from everyone. I'ts not a problem of them not wanting to chill with me but rather I don't want to chill with them. They're good people and I'd say I have love for them, but I just want to isolate myself. I'm becoming increasingly interested in my own things as people usually do, but I want to be alone but at the same time, I don't. I need to focus on getting my life together by getting in school and getting out of my parents house and I don't want my friends to think I'm ditching them. I understand people grow apart from each other in the course of life itself, but as I said above, I want to be alone but I don't. I'm getting to the point where I don't really want to go out anymore, nor do I have the motivation to do so sometimes. Just the simple task of going to a grocery store or Wal-mart or whatever gives me serious anxiety. I'm prescribed Adderall so that helps a little, but as I said, I just want to be alone and nobody understands, not even myself. My friends and family think I'm blowing them off when I tell them I don't want to do anything. They probably think I'm lying to them to go hang out with someone else but that isn't the case at all. My social anxiety has such a strong hold on me that I can't break alone, and that's the problem. My parents think I'm lazy when I don't want to go somewhere, but the fact is when I go somewhere, even the hospital to get my medicine, my brain goes into hyper drive and I over think things to no end, scare myself into isolation and my brain just kinda shuts down. People close to me say they understand with words but their actions show otherwise. Some people downplay it completely and claim it to be no big deal and that upsets me because it is a big deal, it's crippling my sociability. I'll sit beside someone, even people I know, and think of things to talk about with them, but my anxiety just shuts my brain down. I just feel completely lost and have no hope of being 'normal' even though I, myself, believe there isn't such a thing as normal. To the people who read this, thank you, but if you're going to tell me to see a psychiatrist I'm already working on that..
That sounds exactly like me several years back. For the longest time I didnt want to do anything with anyone. I didnt return phone calls texts or anything. It was just a mere phase for me. Sometimes you need to separate yourself for a little while but not to long.
This seems like a form of a phobia. I just read about it, but I can't remember the exact name of the phobia where social anxiety is high. There are treatments available that you should look into. It is not likely a chemical imbalance in your brain, but a psychological one that you developed somehow along the way. Talking it out with a psychologist might help. I think that anxiety disorders can be treated quite effectively if you find someone who can truly help you overcome your anxiety or phobia.
I agree with ganjabanaza heck I barely chill with my friends any more I love my time alone some times. Things will get better for you bro .
It is better to say anything instead of nothing at all. I also went through what you are going through but i realized i always regretted not speaking. Maybe try to find a question or topic you can ask them that they will be excited to explain like "I see you're wearing a Stout sweater, you're in college i presume?" After you get a conversation initially started seeing the other person is sociable and not to shy to add to a conversation other than a simple answer like yes or no then just go off what they add to the conversation. It takes practice and two to tango. If they don't add things that you can ask them more questions about or add to the conversation it will usually be one sided, awkward and die.
Well I recently (around age 18) started getting out of my reclusive "stage" that was a result of my severe depression as a teenager. I didn't get to really enjoy my teenage years because of my depression, but the cause of it, which was my mom overdosing was more important than hanging out with friends in middle school. That time in my life I withdrew myself from my friends and family as well as school. I wouldn't really say it's a stage for me, but something mentally or emotionally I need to overcome somehow. The bold is something I went through for years. I didn't say anything so nobody notice, but when I decide to speak about my problems with my parents, they just believe I'm being radical and extreme. When I'm not taking my Adderall, I tend fly of the handle when someone asks me a question repeatedly or doubts my intelligence, or if I would think they were when they weren't. The odd thing about me seeing a psychiatrist is that I don't really want to but I know it can be beneficial to me. I'm just going so they can fill my prescription but I on the fence about actually discussing my problems with her. The odd part about me not wanting to go to the psychiatrist is that I'm going to school for it in the Fall. As far as the regretting speaking part, it does get tiring to me. I always have so much to say yet I always feel like that person doesn't give a shit at all. The things I'm interested in and passionate about, people don't want to hear. People don't want to talk politics, theology, philosophy and the problems of the world. Some people do, yes, but my friends want to talk pseudos and my family is tired of hearing me talk about politics and religion. I want to spread these ideas and I want to talk to my dad about politics and theology, but I'm always accused of wanting to start an argument. Like I said, I just feel lost and worthless in conversation.